Harvester thrasher



JmL 12, 1.932. E. A. JOHNSTON ET Al. 1,840,585

HARVESTER THRASHER Filed Aug. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l l l 1 r l r l Jan. 12, 1932. E. A. JOHNSTON- ET AL. 1,840,585

HARVESTER THRASHER Filed Aug. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 12, 1932 NETE STATES ParrENrv OFFICE EDWARD A. JGHNSTON, OF CHICAGO, AND GLEMMA R.'RANEY, OF RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS, l

ASSIGNORS TO INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, A CORPORATION 0F N'EW- JERSEY HARVESTER THRASHER Application filed August V5, 1929. Serial'No. 383,543.

The invention relates to harvester thrashers of the folding type.

Particularly, the invention is an improved wheel structure for supporting the free end of the harvester part of such a machine, said structure including a wheel which is capable of performing the dual function of a grain wheel during cutting, and of a trailing, castering wheel when transporting the machine with the harvester part folded, said wheel always remaining connected to the harvester support.

rEhe objects of the invention are to provide a simplified, compact combination grain and caster wheel structure for a folding type of harvester thrasher; to provide such structure in which the change from cutting to trailing position will be easy of accomplishment without the need of any special tools; and, lastly, generally to improve such structures for the purpose of facilitating the folding operation of a harvester thrasher. p

The harvester thrasher comprises a thrasher part with a normal, transversely extended harvester axle or support hingedly connected to the thrasher part for rearward folding movement relative thereto, in a horizontal plane. Briefly, the above objects are accomplished in such a combination by mounting at the grainward end of the harvester support or axle, a simple, compact structure to which is connected a wheel for carrying the free end of said harvester support, said structure including latch mea-ns for holding the wheel against castering when cutting, and which may be released to permit castering of the wheel, when the harvester part has been folded. rFhe structure also includes means to "enable the wheel to be tilted to a position where it will best function as a trailing caster wheel, all as will later more fully appear.

In the drawings, wherein a practicable form of the invention has been chosen by way of example; y

Figure 1 is a general plan view of a harvester thrasher, showing the harvester part in normal cutting position in full lines, and in the folded transport position in the dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view, show The harvester thrasher comprises a thrasher part 10 carried on an axle 11 jourrf naled in apair of wheels, one of which is shown at 12. T he projected end of said axle carries a cap piece 13 embodying a vertical hinge pin 14 to which is connected a horizontal hinge pin 15 formed as a part of another cap piece 16 made fast to a harvester support or axle 17, which normally projects transversely inthe cutting operation, as appears from the full line showing in Figure 1.

Line levers 18 are connected to support17 for pivotal movement upwardly about the axis of said support. The levers then pivotally carry, by means of pivotal connections 19, the harvester platform 20. Of course, the usual counter-balance and adjusting mechaniSms must be employed to hold the platform in position. Such mechanisms have not been shown, as they form no part of this invention.

The grainward end of the support 17 carries a forwardly extending bracket 21, which includes at its forward end, a grainwardly curved extension formed with a vertically disposed sleeve 22. This sleeve serves as a journal for a hinge pin 23 to which is pinned the yoke 24 of an arm 25. Normally, the Y hinge 23 is inoperative, because the bracket 21 and arm 25 are latched together in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1, wherein said parts lie folded together in substantial parallelism. The latching mechanism comprises a Vbolt 26 hinged between ears 27 depending from the underside of the rear end of the bracket 21. The bolt may be swung` up, as shown in Figure 2, to engage between the parts of a depending fork 28`formed at the rear end of the arm 25. A nut 29 fits the threaded end of the bolt 26 to lock the bracket and arm together.

A diagonal brace 30 for the support 17 connects between a thrasher frame extension 31 and an eye 32 formed at the rear end of the bracket 21- (see Figure l).` ThisI brace is removable... l

As shown best in Figures 5, 6 and 7, the. arm 25 is formed with al pair of depending arms 33, spaced apart'l and havingeyes-134?V Also,- saidfarm has ormedon its-top, aridge terminating in an upstanding boss 36 for a purpose presently to appear. A wheelspindle bracket 37 is next provided, which includes a spindle 38 anda sleeve 39' 'at' its b'ott tom, which is designed to -it between the arms 33'so that a hinge pin 40'inay be used pivotally to connectsaidl spindle bracket'. tofthe eyes 34 in the arms 33 formed on the arm 25. A V-sha-ped extension 4ll is formedon top ofthe spindle bracket 37, through-which are arranged two removable pins 42`and 43, the extension straddlingthe ridge-35 and boss 36, as shown best in Figure 6.

The spindle bracketincludes a circular part which fits into the circular part 45"l o a hub 46, upon which the wheel'47fis mounted in anyy approved manner. Al cap 48 and'pin 49 holdthe hub on the spindle-38, (see Figure 3), The mode of use and operation'ofV the structure of' the invention will next be described.

It is desired'to narrow the overall width of the harvester thrasher so as to make possible transport of the machine over roads and through narrow places.A The normal position of the parts is shown in full lines in Figure 1Y andin Figures 2 and 6.1. It isnecessary to fold the harvester part back to the dotted line showing inFigure l. The first step in the. operation is lto withdraw the pin 43 from the extension 41. W'ith the pin removed, it isnow possible to tilt the wheel47 about its horizontal'hinge 40 until the boss 36 is contacted bythe other pin 42, as shown best in Figure 3. Next, the nut 29 is removed to release the latch bolt 26 from the fork 28, which. frees the arm 25 for hinging movementV about the vertical hinge pin 23, thus permitting the wheel' freedom ofmovement for castering.. Next, the diagonal brace 30 is removed. The support 17 is now free for swinging movement about the vertical hinge pin l`4rt=o permit oflfol'ding the same, with the harvester platform, through a horizontal plane to the dotted line position. of the parts appearing in Figure l. The platform may be of the type having an additional clearance movement in which the same is raisedto a position above the wheel- 47,. as` appears in dotted lines in Figure l. A tie-rod` 50 is employed to hold'the support in alongitudinal position, as shown. The machine is now ready for transport. If, after transport, it is desiredto return the harvester partk to nornal position for cutting, the steps just enumerated will obviously be reversed.

From this disclosure, it must now be appreciated that an improved, combined grain and caster wheel has been provided for carrying a foldable harvester support, which wheel remainsat all times connected-to the support, and which may be converted from a fixed wheel to a tilted castering wheel withoutlthefaid-ofrany special'tools. The structure, obviously, also is simple, compact, and foolproof, thereby achieving allot the de- .si-rable'objects heretofore recited.

It is the intention to cover all such imanaterial alterations'of the illustrative embodiment yherein, chosen for purposes of illustration as do not depart from the spirit and scope of.y the invention as depicted by the definitions thereof embodied in the claims to follow.

lVhat is claimed is l. In a machine of the class described,l a thrasher part, a= normally transversely eX- tend'ed support hingedly connected to the thrasher.A for folding movement relative theretoa wheel; carrying the outer end of the support, and a coupling for mounting the` wheel on the support to enable. it to function asaA grain wheel in the normal position of the support, said coupling, including means whereby the wheel may be tilted when thersupport is folded to serveas a transport wheel.

2. InV combination, a support, a bracket carried thereby, an arm hingedly connected to the. bracketmeans for locking the arm to the bracket to makethe hinge inactive, a bracket including a spindle hingedly connectedto the arm, a wheel on the spindle to carry` the support, and means to lock the second .mentioned hinge in inoperative position.

3.. In a: machine of the class described,a thrasher part, a normally transversely eX- tended support hingedly connected to the thrashery for. folding movement. relative thereto, a bracket carried by and extending forwardly of the support, an arm hingedly connected to the free end of said bracket, a releasable connection for locking the arm tothe bracket, a spindle bracketl hingedly connected to the arm, means for making said hinge inoperative, and a wheel j ournaled on the spindle bracket.

4. In. combination, a support, a bracket carried thereby,l an arm hingedly connected to thebracket, a releasable latch for holding said parts together, a bracket connected to the arm and including a spindle normally coaxial with the support, said bracket connection embodying a releasable hinge topermit of tilting the spindle relative to the support, and a wheel journaled on said spindle for carrying the support.

5. In a machine of the class described, a thrasher part, a harvester part foldingly con- CII CIK

nected thereto, a wheel for carrying the outer end of the harvester part, a coupling for connecting the wheel to the harvester part to enable the wheel to function as a fixed grain wheel when the harvester part is in normal position, and means included in the coupling to enable the wheel to function as a trailing, tilted, caster-ing wheel when the harvester part is in folded position.

6. In combination, a support, a bracket carried by the support, an arm pivot-ally connected to the bracket, wheel spindle carried by the arm, a wheel ournaled on the spindle, said arm adapted to lie alongside the bracket whereby the spindle axis is normally disposed coaxiaily of the axis of the support, said arm with the wheel and spindle adapted to be swung about its pivot to cause the wheel to run in a lengthwise direction. relative to the axis of said support, and means to set the wheel and its spindle in a tilted position to cause the wheel to turn in a plane at an angle to the vertical.

7. In combination, a support, a bracket carried by the support, an arm pivotally connected to the bracket, a wheel spindle carried by the arm, a wheel journaled on the spindle, said arm adapted to lie alongside the bracket whereby the spindle axis is normally disposed coaxially of the axis of the support, said arm with the wheel and spindle adapted to be swung about its pivot to cause the wheel to run in a lengthwise direction relative to the axis of said support, a` hinge whereby the spindle may be dropped to an inclined position to tilt the wheel in a plane at an angle to the vertical, and means to hold the spindle i'ixed for causing the wheel to turn in such tilted position.

8. In a machine of the class described, a thrasher part, a normally transversely extended horizontal support hingedly connected at its inner end to the thrasher for folding movement relative thereto, a bracket carried at the outer end of said support, a swing arm connected to the bracket by a vertical pivot, a spindle connected to said arm by a horizontal pivot whereby to tilt the spindle, a wheel journaled on the spindle, and means to lock the horizontal pivot to make the same inactive whereby said wheel may operate in either a vertical plane or in a plane at an angle to the vertical.

9. In a machine of the class described, a thrasher part, a normally tranversely extended horizontal support hingedly connected at its inner end to the thrasher for folding movement relative thereto, a forwardly extending bracket carried at the outer end of said support, a swing arm connected to the forward end of the bracket by a vertical pivot pin, a releasable latch for latching the swing arm alongside the bracket, a spindle, a wheel carried by the spindle, a horizontal pivot pin for connecting the spindle to the swing arm, and means whereby the spindle may be held in a position coaxial with the support or be tilted at an angle with respect thereto.

10. In combination, a su port, a coupling carried by the support em odying an arm. carrying a spindle, a wheel journaled on the spindle to carry the support, and a pair of hinges whereby the arm may pivotwith the wheel and spindle relative to the support and whereby the wheel may be tilted with its spindle relative to the arm.

1l. In combination, a support, a coupling carried by the support embodying an arm carrying a spindle, a wheel journaled on the spindle to carry the support, and a pair of hinges having axes disposed at right angles to each other whereby the arm may pivot with the wheel and spindle relative to the support and whereby the wheel may be tilted with its spindle relative to the arm.

In testimony whereof we allx our signa-- tures.

EDWARD A. JOHNSTON. CLEMMA R. RANEY. 

